Eratosthenes (276 - 195 B.C.)

Eratosthenes used geometry to estimate the circumference
of the Earth.

Eratosthenes measured the altitude of the noontime sun
at Alexandria at its maximum on Jun 21st. On that date,
the Sun is directly overhead at noontime at Syene, in southern
Egypt (latitude = 23.5 degrees north).

The zenith distance is the angle from the zenith to
the point where the Sun was at noon; it is also 90 degrees
minus the altitude. At Syene, the zenith distance was 0 degrees;
at Alexandria it was about 7 degrees.

He knew how far it was from Alexandria to Syene, so he used
geometry and the difference in zenith angle to estimate the
size of the Earth.

Eratosthenes also measured the tilt of the Earth axis by
23.5 degrees, which gives us the seasons
.